FRANKFORT, Ky. - At the request of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, FEMA has approved an increase in the rental assistance rate for eligible residents who were affected by the Dec. 10-11 severe storms and tornadoes in Caldwell, Graves, Hopkins, Marshall, Muhlenberg and Warren counties.
With the increase, survivors approved for FEMA temporary housing assistance will be able to secure units at 25 percent above fair market rents established by the U.S. Department of Housing and urban Development, or HUD.
The increase was put into effect because rental properties in the six counties are extremely limited, and hundreds of survivors in the disaster area are struggling to find temporary housing close to homes damaged or destroyed by the December disaster. A higher rental assistance rate is designed to expand their options.
For example, the HUD fair market rent for a two-bedroom unit in Warren County is $845, but with the 25 percent increase in rental assistance, the maximum for FEMA rental assistance goes to $1,056. If eligible residents in that county rent a two-bedroom below $1,056, renters may include their utility costs up to the maximum assistance allowed.
FEMA applicants seeking or already approved for rental assistance may call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 for more information on the increased rates. Or they may visit a Disaster Recovery Center. For a current list of locations, visit fema.gov/drc.
Survivors who have not yet applied for federal disaster assistance may do so until the deadline, Friday, Feb. 11,
To apply for FEMA assistance, visit DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA mobile app or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use a relay service such as video relay service (VRS) or captioned telephone service, give FEMA the number for that service. Helpline operators are available from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. CST daily. Press 2 for Spanish. Press 3 for an interpreter who speaks your language.
For an accessible video on how to apply for FEMA assistance, go to youtube.com/watch?v=WZGpWI2RCNw.
For more information on Kentucky’s recovery from the tornadoes, visit fema.gov/disaster/4630. Follow FEMA on Twitter at FEMA Region 4 (@femaregion4) / Twitter and at facebook.com/fema.
Source: Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency
